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RF patriarch to visit Christian holy places in Israel, Palestine, Jordan

"Patriarch’s visit is notable for going back to the beginnings of Christianity," deputy chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate External Church Relations told Itar-Tass

MOSCOW, November 7 (Itar-Tass) — Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia will visit Christian holy places in Israel, Palestine and Jordan on November 9-14, deputy chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate External Church Relations Archpriest Nikolai Balashov told Itar-Tass.

Archpriest Balashov said on Wednesday, “The patriarch’s visit is notable for going back to the beginnings of Christianity.”

The archpriest said the Russian patriarch would visit the Church that “all Christians name the Mother of All Churches”.

Patriarch Kirill and His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilus III of Jerusalem will conduct a night liturgy in the Church of Holy Sepulchre and read the Holy Gospel in the sites where the Gospel’s event had happened. Jointly with pilgrims the Russian patriarch will follow Saviour’s Way of the Cross, the archpriest said.

Patriarch Kirill will also visit churches and monasteries of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem. The patriarch will consecrate the Gorny convent, which was founded before the revolution and built in recent years. He will meet the leadership of Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the Kingdom of Jordan.

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